Teenagers in West Pokot have been forbidden from participating in the popular Kwara Kwara dance.
Kennedy Kiprop, a deputy county commissioner in Kacheliba, issued the restriction, stating that it had resulted in an increase in teen pregnancies and early marriages in the area.
Kiprop remarked that since the dance was introduced in the area, the number of girls dropping out of school owing to early pregnancies has steadily increased.
“I’m pleading with locals not to allow adolescents in the villages to hold this dance because it’s undoing the progress we’ve done in educating our children, particularly the girls, about teenage pregnancies and early marriages,” he added.
The county has the highest teen pregnancy rate in Kenya, at 29%.
By 2021, organizations have recommended steps to reduce the rate to under 20%.
